


Come back, Commander

by Saffron_Sickle



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Drug Use, F/M, Love, Lyrium Addiction, Lyrium Withdrawal, Mention of Past Abuse, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Red Lyrium, Slow Burn, Tresspasser Spoilers, cullen just needs some help, post treespasser
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-05
Updated: 2019-04-05
Packaged: 2020-01-05 02:26:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18356705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saffron_Sickle/pseuds/Saffron_Sickle
Summary: Lyrium had destroyed his life, but you’re gonna give it back to him.-you’re an assertive ex-apostate, who remembers Cullen from the circle. He was a loyal man with high standards. He was handsome, young, and you want to help him re-unite with his past self.





	Come back, Commander

**Author's Note:**

> This has since been edited. This is a ROUGH work in progress, but progress none the less.

Nobody could have really prepared you for this. In fact I doubt anybody could really prepare themselves for what you were about to attempt. You had heard endless stories about men loosing themselves to their Lyrium addiction, forgetfulness, considerable weight loss, rapid aging; It’s no better for people than red lyrium, if anyone asks you. It’s a cancer, one that has been used to tie down both mages and templars, and one that was about to steal another life…but you’re not going to let that happen.

 

“Commander Cullen…”

 

You say it barely loud enough for him to hear. He turns towards you anyway.

His once bright, golden eyes had been glazed over, resembling the cool grey of a stone. His Rosy cheeks and clean shaven chin had been overburdened with a ragged, lice ridden beard. His teeth were a bright yellow, many of them fallen out from neglect, and his skin was littered with blotchy grey, veiny patches. He probably had not showered in years. Sitting in a damp corner of a filthy market place in Val Cheven doesn’t make it any better.

 

“He told me…” His once rich and commandingly booming voice that could sway the hearts of millions is now just a croak coming from the pit of his gut. It gurgled and cracked with every other syllable. “He said he’d meet me here... in Val Roeyoux.”

 

“We are not in Val Roeyoux, Commander. Do you know where we are?” I asked.

“Val...He said he’d meet me...” his voice drifted off into a whimper. Seeing him in such a state made your blood boil. You wanted to stand him up, shake him, smack him, scream at him, anything it took to get him to realize he has basically thrown his life away.

 

“Commander Cullen!” You shout loud enough to rattle the shingles on the buildings above you. Cullen’s eyes go wide, resembling fear but they immediately wander back into that dream state. You take his wrist firmly, and pull him to his feet. His knees tremble, and he nearly collapses on himself, but your grip on him is so tight that you keep him balanced.

 

“Do.You.Know. Where you are?!” you ask sternly.

 

“No...” he whispers. “I don’t...Who am I?”

 

“I need you to listen. Are you listening, commander?”

 

He nods, despite his expression dropping further and further by the second.

 

You do your best not to snarl as you say, “You’re a coward. You fell into temptation so easily, and for what? To suffer the same fate as many Templar’s before you... I thought you were better than that.”

 

“Templar...he said he’d….”

 

“Stop. We are getting out of here, Cullen.”

Your grip on his wrists was like a vice, yet you tugged him gently out of the open marketplace of Val Cheven. He winced once the sun hit his face, acting as if it actually hurt him.

"How long have you been here?" You ask him, but he doesn't answer. He's out of breath, teetering on consienceness, yet you haven't even taken twenty steps. His breath is shaky and you're concerned that he might just keel over and die.

"We're almost to my horse, Cullen. I'm going to take you far away from here, To the Free Marches. Would you like that?"

 

He opens his mouth to speak, but nothing comes out other than a low gurgle. You sigh, and pray that he isn't too far gone to be saved, but the further you walk him, the more you begin to doubt. You finally reach your horse, and strap him in as best as you can. He slumps forward, groaning, as if he physically cannot keep himself upright, so you decide to sit behind him, so you can at least catch him if he tips over too far to the point of falling. 

Finally you've begun the journey back home, but the doubt still remains. Cullen is little more than a vegetable, and it's sending waves of emotions crashing over you. You're scared he's too far gone, you're frustrated the inquisitor would let this happen, and you're sad that you might have to be the one to put him down.

You thought over and over about just sending him home to his family, but you doubt they'd be any better off trying to welcome home a barely responsive brother. No, you had to do this. At least you had an idea on how to help him. You just prayed that this idea was going to work. 

 


End file.
